The Dragon Prince: Legacy
by Dorkatron
Summary: 20 years after the events of Season 3, Azymondias is all grown up and is turning out to be a powerful prodigy. However, Aaravos draws close to exiting his cocoon and unleashing a new evil upon Xadia. Only Zym can stop him, but will he be able to? Rated K Plus For Violence and Thematic Elements
1. Chapter 1

_20 years ago, the courage of humans was redeemed. For the first time in centuries, humans and elves worked together to ensure the survival of The Dragon Prince, the last hope for peace in the land. The nations of Xadia and the human kingdoms signed the Azymondias Treaty, and 20 years of prospering for both sides started._

_Years of peace did not, however, guarantee continuous positivity. In the shadows of Xadia, I, Aaravos, draw ever nearer to being freed from my prison. When I emerge from the chrysalis, I will have the power to do what I do best- spread chaos. _

"Azymondias has done it again." Pyrrah was getting bothered by the Prince's increasingly eccentric behavior. Here she was, standing before Queen Zubeia herself, confronting her about the situation.

"What now, Pyrrah?" Zubeia asked. "What's my son done to upset you now?"

"He's been reading for 8 hours straight. He doesn't go out into the sun to get fresh air. With all due respect, I wouldn't be surprised if he had forgotten how to fly."

Zubeia paused. "Yes, his studying habits are quite extreme. What's he reading about now?"

"That's what's troubling me," Pyrrah said. "It's an ancient book on our military history. I don't know how he got his claws on the thing, but that's restricted reading, for a dragon as relatively young as he."

Zubeia sighed. "He's learned so much, but he wants to know more. Every night I catch him staring at his father's grave outside, talking to it. He's trying to figure out what's best to shape his future. He does so by trying to learn the mistakes of his ancestors. I'll talk to him about it, hopefully his study routines will get healthier."

Pyrrah looked over at the space where Azymondias would sleep as a hatchling. "I hope so too. You know, his powers are quite potent. He's has an above average proficiency in Moon Magic and Sky Magic, and he's read up on military strategy and tactics more then anything else. He's a prodigy, and no prodigy should waste their time."

Zubeia chuckled. "I'll talk to him about it, but keep in mind just how long we live as dragons. It would take centuries of reading just for it to be considered a waste of life."

The night was humid and quite uncomfortable, judging from how The Sol Regem felt. As a blind dragon, his senses were more limited than before, but sensing the weather's effect on his own body helped him map out environments in his mind quite often.

He wasn't sure this would work. Humans and Elves living in peace alongside the dragons seemed impossible before, and now that was the case, something was… off. He couldn't help but feel suspicious of the rulers of Xadia, in addition to his usual distrust for the human kingdoms. The most suspicious fact was one that the Xadian leaders themselves had been grudging for two decades.

_Viren. They hadn't found the body of Viren._

The Sol Regem's sources were often Sunfire elf mercenaries and scholars. He relied on them to keep up with the flow of history, when he was unable to observe himself. What they told him of Viren was unnerving. Someone that dangerous had presumably died, but his corpse hadn't been seen since for 20 years. It seemed impossible for that to be a coincidence. Was the truth of Viren's fate kept from Xadia?

Azymondias was sitting by the side of his father, who was turned to stone long ago. He was never told who did it, and the time was to find out. His father wasn't there to explain himself.

Azymondias knew a human was responsible. From what he'd read, from what he grew up hearing- it didn't make sense for the case to be otherwise. But of all the great knowledge he received, he still couldn't find out on his own just who killed his father.

That's why he sent for someone else to tell him. Someone he trusted with his life. King Ezran.

He was rather late, but he arrived nonetheless. Bait was there, now a large glowing road the size of a house. Ezran often used him as his mount as an alternative to a horse.

"Ezran, I know he's our friend, but as a source of transport, he's… substandard. No offense."

Bait croaked a bit, but Azymondias understood him. He studied many languages. The translation was something along the lines of "None taken… jerkface." The dragon chuckled.

"So, how's Callum and Rayla holding up?" He asked Ezran.

"They're fine, Zym. Preparing for their fifth wedding anniversary, as a matter of fact."

"Oh. And Katolis?"

Ezran paused. He looked a little grim all of the sudden. "Well, the kingdom's a bit worried. Unexplained occurrences have been happening. People disappearing. I have yet to find out what it is for sure, but I suspect dark magic is involved."

Azymondias stiffened. Dark magic was disturbing to him. It was what killed his father, after all. "Is that why you came? To let me know this?"

"And to see an old friend who requested my presence. But it is indeed a matter that Xadia should be aware of. After the war, the kingdoms agreed to stop practicing dark magic. It's one of the conditions of the Azymondias Treaty. You have the right to know if there's a dark magic threat looming in my kingdom."

"I see. You know, I wanted to talk to you because there's something about being a Prince that makes me feel like I need to prepare for the future. To do that, I must learn from the mistakes of my ancestors. Learning who killed my father could bring some knowledge that I need. Do you know who did it?"

Ezran mulled this over. He sighed. "Well… the person most responsible would be a dark Mage named Viren."

Azymondias felt shivers go up his spine from hearing that name. He had a deja vu flashback to a memory of the dark, disturbing face of a human trying to take hold of him on the top of the Storm Spire. "Viren?"

"Yes. It was dark times, Zym. I was but a young boy last time I saw him. You were a tiny hatchling. But his name is spoken even today. He was the High Mage of Katolis, his practice of Dark Magic brought the kingdom solutions, but often for a price. One day, he crossed into Xadia, looking for a way to help the kingdom, yes, but the cost seemed too great. The wrath of your father had killed many, including my mother. Viren offered my dad justice, and killed him, Zym. Using dark magic. As a matter of fact, Viren tried to use you as a source of his power. Countless times did he attempt to disrupt the peace we brought. He tried keeping you from your mother. He tried to take your power for himself during the Battle here. He failed, and didn't try again."

"What happened to him?"

"No idea. Most assume he died. But I think not. I think he's still out there somewhere, plotting a comeback. Doing everything he can to let his malice linger on. Not to mention his daughter, Claudia, who disappeared with him. Even if Viren's dead, Claudia is assumed to be alive, albeit missing. If Viren himself isn't around anymore, perhaps she'll take up his dark mantle."

Azymondias sighed. "You think Claudia's the one disrupting your people?"

Ezran sighed. "I saw her potential for good, especially after Soren sided with us. But it's been decades. Viren might have swayed her to be like him. If so, then it's very possible that she is indeed the culprit."

Azymondias spaced out for a second. "Ezran, perhaps I should tell my mother about Katolis. She'll know what to do."

"Alright. After all, she's still in charge here. In the meantime, Callum's started an investigation. Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this."

Not too far away from Storm Spire was a dark barrow that local Elves called "The Labyrinth of Decay." A millennium ago, a dark mage had made a breakthrough here that would later be referred to as "Necromancy." Among the most challenging areas of study in dark magic, it required particularly grotesque rituals to practice, and the results it brought were quite disturbing. The bones of the dead would walk, and serve the Mage with _literally_ undying loyalty. It was never entered by the locals, lest they want to become one of the corpses reanimated to do evil works there.

Of all the places in Xadia, this was the most accommodating home for Viren, Claudia, and the chrysalis carrying Aaravos. Although Viren didn't practice Necromancy himself, he did know how to win the loyalty of those already affected by such magic.

The former usurper of Katolis' throne was aging by this point, relying on his daughter Claudia to make necessary preparations for executing his final plan.

Claudia had grown up to be an exceptional Mage- skilled, cunning, and above all, ambitious. Her ambition was different than Viren's, but equally useful in bringing dark magic back from the void it was driven to 20 years ago. Claudia's primary motive, at this point, was vengeance. Long had she been stranded in this labyrinthian tomb, not daring to come out. Some of her colleagues in the other kingdoms were executed as a means of upholding the terms of the Azymondias Treaty.

_Azymondias._

The Dragon Prince was growing up by now. He was already the size of a two-story building, and would get only bigger and stronger as he aged. Rumor had it that he was becoming a prodigy polymath as well, mastering Moon Magic and Sky Magic, and planning to learn all six primal sources. That could be catastrophic for humanity. Or, at least, for the best of humanity.

Claudia returned to him. "If we keep up this pace, we'll have an army of the undead working for us. I'm guessing that's the idea, father?"

"You know me so well, Claudia. Yes, the reanimated corpses would make tough warriors. It's difficult to kill what has already been killed."

Claudia chuckled. "Yes, but they're not unkillable. After all, that's just another kind of killable."

"They'll serve their purpose, nonetheless. It's time to finally move our plan forward."

"Great, I've only been waiting about two decades. What's the mission?"

"Bring half our forces to the Storm Spire, and attack. I'll do the rest with the other half."

"Is that wise, father? I mean, you're no spring chicken anymore!"

"I'll manage! The plan is to take out the Dragon Queen and her Prince! I'll deal with the Prince, but you can kill the Queen using the same method I used to kill Thunder. By the time Aaravos awakens, we'd have gotten rid of his strongest enemies."

"Alright, but The Dragon Prince isn't that widdle hatchling anymore, he's a serious challenge. I'm afraid I'll lose you."

"Don't worry, Claudia. It's not my objective to win. I'm just distracting him until you get back from your mission. Then we'll work together to overwhelm him. I promise."

The next morning, Ezran and Azymondias were reporting the strange activity in Katolis to Zubeia. She listened intently.

"Am I to understand that your kingdom is doing everything they can to investigate this threat?"

"Yes. Callum, Rayla, and Soren are all looking into it. We suspect Claudia is involved…"

"Mother, we can't let the humans be corrupted by dark magic again. I've read about the events leading up to the battles here. It's the source of hate and contention between living beings, whether in its use, or retaliation thereof."

"That's true, son, but until we pinpoint the source of the attacks, we can't do much about it."

Suddenly, a magic arrow hit the meeting room, and a note was attached.

"That's one of Rayla's messages!" Ezran said.

"Read it!"

Ezran read it. "Oh, no! Viren's attacking the Katolis Capital! With… an army of the undead!"


	2. Chapter 2

Swooping low over Katolis, Azymondias could see that the site was truly a mess. Soldiers fell by the dozens every second they dared spend fighting the Zombies summoned by Viren's magic.

"You never told me he was skilled enough to use Necromancy, Ezran…"

"I didn't think he was. But he's had 20 years to learn new tricks."

"Indeed. Now, Bait!"

Bait was being carried by Azymondias' back claws. He croaked something that roughly translated to "Alright, shut your eyes!"

And just like that, Bait flashed a blinding light onto the entire battlefield. The Zombies, who were used to the dark, were disoriented for the next half hour of fighting. Azymondias set Ezran down and zapped Zombies left and right with his lightning breath. He was quick to notice he wasn't the only one using Sky Magic on the battlefield. Callum was zapping every enemy within his sights with his Fulminis spell. Rayla followed up on whatever Zombies that managed to endure this, decapitating each one with her blades.

From what Azymondias had read about Zombies, only by removing the head or destroying the brain could the Zombies revert back to their motionless state. The mind seemed to be the source of the dark magic automating the corpses' actions. This made sense, because the brain was the source of a living being's nervous system. If you wanted the dead to walk, you'd have to figure out a way to magically control their bodily functions, and the easiest way to do that was to reanimate their brains.

Yes, Azymondias had studied his fair share of dark magic, but vowed to never use it. It was merely a means of knowing his enemies, which was useful, particularly now. By targeting the cranium of the magical, undead automaton, he could take it out easier than using most other methods.

After neutralizing enough Zombies to secure the area, Azymondias took the time to land close to Callum and Rayla. "Aim for the heads and the brain. They won't function without them."

"What do you think we've been doing!?" Callum shouted.

"Well, you might want to tell your troops what you know. They're having more trouble then you two."

"Got it. You find that cursed Mage, and we'll deal with the rest of these abominations!" Rayla said.

Azymondias took to the skies, as that was all he needed to hear. Callum and Rayla weren't stupid, he could rely on them against the Zombies. He just needed to find Viren and avenge his father's death once and for all.

It didn't take long for him to locate Viren. The coward was hiding in the nearby forest with a simple concealment spell. Azymondias had read about those spells, and what clues to look for that indicated one was in use. He swooped into the trees, and sure enough, he could suddenly see Viren once he was close enough. He zapped Viren right as he was swooping. A mage as skilled as Viren needed to be taken down quickly. Attacking quickly and relentlessly, exploiting every weakness in the Wizard's defense stance he could find, Viren was overpowered within minutes. A smart man such as Viren knew when to surrender at that point, so he dropped his staff, and held his hands up before speaking.

"Well… you are indeed a formidable dragon. If only I could have gotten the power you had for myself."

"You lost that chance when you murdered my father, you sick fiend!"

"What!? Who told you that?"

"Your lies won't work on me. Not a word you say will be considered fact in my mind."

"No, I swear, it was Harrow! He wanted revenge! He's the one who threw the staff, for Heaven's sake!"

"Even if that has truth to it, I'm not foolish enough to give you the chance to deceive me. You're going to die, right here, right now, before you get the chance to deceive any other living creature in all the land!"

Viren suddenly gave a light chuckle. "Please, I've already deceived you! Tell me, how would Claudia fit into all of this?"

Azymondias paused, but kept his guard up. "She's just another practitioner of dark magic, who may be beyond saving by this point."

"Just like your mother, can't we agree?"

Azymondias suddenly dug his claw into Viren's arm. Viren gave out a cry of pain.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Again, my enemies are distracted by merely one part of the battle. Claudia is attacking the Storm Spire as we speak. I knew that after my previous defeat there, that my days of writing history were over. But Claudia is just getting started. She will make a great successor, regardless of whether you kill me here or not. And killing me will only put added motivation on her to squash the power out of you! She'll make a grand mage, and there is nothing you can do about it!"

Azymondias' mind was exploding in different directions. But he knew what to do.

"It matters not, Viren. Her grandeur will end, just as yours has. And her life will end, just as yours is _about to." _

Azymondias then slashed his claws from Viren's shoulder to his stomach, disemboweling the Mage in a mere moment of rage. He took to the skies almost immediately, heading back to the Storm Spire.

It took half a day to get back to the Storm Spire, and Azymondias was exhausted, but it didn't matter. It was urgent that he get back to it, and help his kind. But it was too late.

Azymondias arrived to find a pile of Zombie corpses- along with many dragon corpses. Among them was a sight that Azymondias wished wasn't real.

His mother, Queen Zubeia, was grievously injured, and unable to stand. One of her wings was severed.

He ran over. "Mother! Who did this?"

"Son… you're back…"

"Mother, are you alright?"

"Now I am… I was hoping to talk to you… one last time."

"Mother?"

"You know, Azymondias, you spend much time studying. More than what Pyrrah believes is healthy. I'm so proud of you, but… I don't want you wasting your life. Please… spend more time out… make some more friends. You'll need them."

Azymondias had tears in his eyes. "I'll need you too, mom. I'm not ready to run this kingdom. Not without you…"

"You've been more prepared to rule this kingdom then most heirs ever were at your age. You can do it, Azymondias. You just need to give yourself the chance…"

Zubeia closed her eyes, and collapsed. Azymondias could feel the life leave her. He sobbed.

Weeks later, a funeral was held for Zubeia. Dragons from all across Xadia were gathered, including The Sol Regem, as a matter of fact. She was buried next to the statue-grave of Avizandum, with a message engraved on the stone between them:

_"In loving memory of Zubeia and Avizandum, the dragon rulers."_

Also attending the funeral were Elven rulers, and the rulers of the five human kingdoms. In Katolis' corner, Callum, Rayla, Soren, and Ezran stood with grief and guilt on their faces. Azymondias himself was here to give a speech.

"I never knew my father any better than what history tells of him. But from what I read, his actions against the humans entering Xadia seemed extreme at first. But when I finally fought dark magic outside of theory- when my mother died- I realized why. What he did was never out of spite for humans themselves, but out of fear for their practices at the time. Dark Magic is truly what divides us as living creatures, what can destroy this whole world if it tried hard enough. It allows evil to take root in all of our hearts. Which is why I hereby offer an alliance between the five Kingdoms, and the rulers of Xadia."

Azymondias unravelled a banner, which was an image containing several symbols. Each symbol was one of the six primal sources of magic, and in the center was a symbol of dark magic, being contained and trapped by the other sources that surrounded it in a circular pattern. Azymondias continued.

"The Coalition of Light will be a multinational effort to find any and all remaining practitioners of dark magic and judge them accordingly. We will not let them taint this world with evil any longer. We will show Claudia and everyone who follows in her footsteps that Humans, Dragons, and Elves can work together to make this world a place where good triumphs. And we will never stop trying until it is! Let it take years, let it take decades, centuries! But evil won't flourish past our boundaries!"

The crowd cheered, then began chanting:

"All hail King Azymondias! The Bringer of Light!"

And thus began The Coalition of Light- and Azymondias' rule of the dragons. Azymondias knew he'd face unfathomable evil during this effort. But in this single moment- with everyone chanting his name- he knew, without a shred of a doubt, that he'd win.


End file.
